Please don't police my thoughts:

stefjc

That's fine and well.....if you lived in 1934.

Words have connotations. Language changes as culture changes. Lots of things were permissible (or not) in the days of yore that are not now. IF you use the word in it's original sense, you must at least admit and acquiesce to the fact that the word no longer means what it used to.

I have no need to admit anything. That the word has been modernised is obvious, incontrovertible. Nor must I acquiesce to any such thing. As long as both meanings are used both are correct. Subcultures rub along side by side at all times. Or is that something else that only happened in days of yore?

Must I now bow down and enthusiastically join in tweeting, vajazzling and other such 'youth' pursuits? Or am I allowed to exist alongside such subcultures and live my own life with my own social mores without being labelled?

I suspect that being out of step with any vocal minority automatically makes me wrong these days!

Tatonka_usn

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones...
... When you're with the Flintstones
you'll have a yabba dabba doo time.
A dabba doo time.
You'll have a gay old time.


And
Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
...
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

Being a Sunday child myself I have always failed to respect the wholesale theft of the word for another subculture to use. We Sunday's children can be possessive too!

Theatres are called The Gaiety all over the UK, there's an entire ballet about Gaiete Parisienne.

I know I can blame Gertrude Stein (first published use of gay referring to sexuality, 1922) but most ignored her, The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Some walk by night
Some fly by day
Nothing could change you
Set and sure of the way.

Charming and Bright
Laughing and gay
I'm Just a stranger
Love the Blues and the Braves...
Al Jarreau and the Moonlighting tune

I also don me me now my gay apparel at Yuletide - old doesn't have to mean outdated, it can mean traditional.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty and witty and gay......


So please, allow that some of us really do mean shiny, happy, vivacious.....

That's fine and well.....if you lived in 1934.

Words have connotations. Language changes as culture changes. Lots of things were permissible (or not) in the days of yore that are not now. IF you use the word in it's original sense, you must at least admit and acquiesce to the fact that the word no longer means what it used to.

And welcome to the era of political correctness, where what you say will automatically be translated down to the lowest common denominator by anyone seeking to find fault with it. Personally, I'm highly offended by the "N" word, and yet I hear African-Americans saying it all the time. Does it matter to my ears that they say it in jest, or have some sort of "right" to use it as THEY see fit (even though it's offensive)? And yet THAT is what you are implying.....that so long as they (homosexuals, African-Americans, etc) are ok saying something among themselves that they have some sort of patent on a given word....regardless of other, legitimate definitions (gay = happy, *kitten* = cigarette, etc). Sorry I don't buy into it.....and I won't be limited in my own thought/speech by others, simply because they MAY be offended. When you start worrying about offending SOMEONE it inevitably leads to offending EVERYONE.....

quirkytizzy

And welcome to the era of political correctness, where what you say will automatically be translated down to the lowest common denominator by anyone seeking to find fault with it. Personally, I'm highly offended by the "N" word, and yet I hear African-Americans saying it all the time. Does it matter to my ears that they say it in jest, or have some sort of "right" to use it as THEY see fit (even though it's offensive)? And yet THAT is what you are implying.....that so long as they (homosexuals, African-Americans, etc) are ok saying something among themselves that they have some sort of patent on a given word....regardless of other, legitimate definitions (gay = happy, *kitten* = cigarette, etc). Sorry I don't buy into it.....and I won't be limited in my own thought/speech by others, simply because they MAY be offended. When you start worrying about offending SOMEONE it inevitably leads to offending EVERYONE.....

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

Tatonka_usn

And welcome to the era of political correctness, where what you say will automatically be translated down to the lowest common denominator by anyone seeking to find fault with it. Personally, I'm highly offended by the "N" word, and yet I hear African-Americans saying it all the time. Does it matter to my ears that they say it in jest, or have some sort of "right" to use it as THEY see fit (even though it's offensive)? And yet THAT is what you are implying.....that so long as they (homosexuals, African-Americans, etc) are ok saying something among themselves that they have some sort of patent on a given word....regardless of other, legitimate definitions (gay = happy, *kitten* = cigarette, etc). Sorry I don't buy into it.....and I won't be limited in my own thought/speech by others, simply because they MAY be offended. When you start worrying about offending SOMEONE it inevitably leads to offending EVERYONE.....

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

Nope, but thanks for twisting my words to fit your arguement. My point is that words can be taken in any context the listener sees fit, which doesn't inherently imply that they are "wrong". Who are YOU to imply that a historic definition of "gay" is any less appropriate now than it was 30, 50, or 100 years ago? Maybe folks should develop a thicker skin, and stop relying on the nonsense that "culture has changed", or just not use the word at all (hence my "N" word analogy).

stefjc

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

You're not listening. A portion of society uses gay to mean happy. It has not disappeared.

And the second point from tatonka was that your insistence that those of us still using it must bow down to the pressure from a subculture that has suborned a word may equate to the modern use of the N word. It is politically incorrect to use it ONLY if you are from outside the cohort it is used to describe.

Simple really!

Tatonka_usn

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

You're not listening. A portion of society uses gay to mean happy. It has not disappeared.

And the second point from tatonka was that your insistence that those of us still using it must bow down to the pressure from a subculture that has suborned a word may equate to the modern use of the N word. It is politically incorrect to use it ONLY if you are from outside the cohort it is used to describe.

Simple really!

Thank you! I know it was a horribly challenging concept, but at least SOMEONE understood.....

quirkytizzy

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

You're not listening. A portion of society uses gay to mean happy. It has not disappeared.

And the second point from tatonka was that your insistence that those of us still using it must bow down to the pressure from a subculture that has suborned a word may equate to the modern use of the N word. It is politically incorrect to use it ONLY if you are from outside the cohort it is used to describe.

Simple really!

Thank you! I know it was a horribly challenging concept, but at least SOMEONE understood.....

The pressure of changing your use of ONE WORD is that strenuous for you? Really?

One word? Do you even lift, brah?

Tatonka_usn

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

You're not listening. A portion of society uses gay to mean happy. It has not disappeared.

And the second point from tatonka was that your insistence that those of us still using it must bow down to the pressure from a subculture that has suborned a word may equate to the modern use of the N word. It is politically incorrect to use it ONLY if you are from outside the cohort it is used to describe.

Simple really!

Thank you! I know it was a horribly challenging concept, but at least SOMEONE understood.....

The pressure of changing your use of ONE WORD is that strenuous for you? Really?

One word? Do you even lift, brah?

I'm sorry, the word "brah" offends me (beyond being the vernacular of simpletons). I would appreciate that it no longer be used.....

Tatonka_usn

So....you aren't going to change your words, even though it's been roughly 30 years since the word "gay" meant "happy" because you're mad that you can't call black people the "N" word???

You're not listening. A portion of society uses gay to mean happy. It has not disappeared.

And the second point from tatonka was that your insistence that those of us still using it must bow down to the pressure from a subculture that has suborned a word may equate to the modern use of the N word. It is politically incorrect to use it ONLY if you are from outside the cohort it is used to describe.

Simple really!

Thank you! I know it was a horribly challenging concept, but at least SOMEONE understood.....

The pressure of changing your use of ONE WORD is that strenuous for you? Really?

One word? Do you even lift, brah?

And it's less a "word" than a principle....which you obviously miss (by choice or by ignorance).

quirkytizzy

I'm sorry, the word "brah" offends me (beyond being the vernacular of simpletons). I would appreciate that it no longer be used.....

Sorry, brah, but the word "brah" has yet to be incorporated into our culture as a whole. Come back in twenty years. Maybe you'll have had the time and energy to change the word "gay" by then, too.

We'll both grow as people. Wouldn't that be beautiful?

Sarauk2sf

*eyeroll*

You live in the US, where the word "gay" has not been used to describe jolly behavior in decades. Just own up that you said something thoughtless and move on.

If your in the US he can say anything and you cant do a damn thing about it, move on.

Wow...anger issues much?

Nope none at all

Surprising...

I am a very happy and cheery person

So then you are a gay man?

I am a very happy and jolly man but you cant say gay here so I wont

You can if you are actually gay. [Or maybe an 80 year old English person (my great grandmother used to use it for jolly)]

So, just to be clear....homosexuals have a sole-use trademark or patent on the word "gay", right?

Yes, that is exactly what I was saying /sarcasm font (just in case)

Stump_Likker

It's not about being politically correct. It's about being a decent human being. Just because you say whatever you want doesn't mean you should. I'm ready to take my sock to a lot of people...

Tatonka_usn

I'm sorry, the word "brah" offends me (beyond being the vernacular of simpletons). I would appreciate that it no longer be used.....

Sorry, brah, but the word "brah" has yet to be incorporated into our culture as a whole. Come back in twenty years. Maybe you'll have had the time and energy to change the word "gay" by then, too.

We'll both grow as people. Wouldn't that be beautiful?

That's your definition of "growth", stamping out an historically accepted definition of a word simply because YOUR notion culture has "evolved" to the point of political correctness? Have fun with that.

Try going to the UK, where "*kitten*" is used quite commonly (for cigarettes)....and where you don't hear the homosexual community whining about it.

witchlight

Omg. Seriously people, chill the hell out. He said a simple word, that was not meant in a hurtful way to anybody, and here everyone is making a huge thing about the god damn word. It was not meant to imply anything about homosexual people, it was used in a totally different context! I think people need to take a look at a thesaurus, where they will discover that many words have lots of different meanings. Think that the word Bad can actually be used to mean Very Good in slang terms. You people are what is wrong with the world, leave this guy alone and take a long hard look at yourselves before misjudging others.

Tatonka_usn

Omg. Seriously people, chill the hell out. He said a simple word, that was not meant in a hurtful way to anybody, and here everyone is making a huge thing about the god damn word. It was not meant to imply anything about homosexual people, it was used in a totally different context! I think people need to take a look at a thesaurus, where they will discover that many words have lots of different meanings. Think that the word Bad can actually be used to mean Very Good in slang terms. You people are what is wrong with the world, leave this guy alone and take a long hard look at yourselves before misjudging others.

AMEN!

YaGigi

I must say I didn't know gay also meant happy or joyfull until I watched an old movie.
English is my 3rd language and I mostly use English used in my circles (friends use one type of language, professionals use different type of language, and etc).

Maybe this term is still used mostly in small towns and villages where there are not so many gays as in homosexuals and this term hasn't changed its meaning yet?

witchlight

Well said.

quirkytizzy

That's your definition of "growth", stamping out an historically accepted definition of a word simply because YOUR notion culture has "evolved" to the point of political correctness? Have fun with that.

Try going to the UK, where "*kitten*" is used quite commonly (for cigarettes)....and where you don't hear the homosexual community whining about it.

Yes that's my definition of growth.

Unless you want to go back to historically appropriate times and measures: In which case, blacks would still be slaves in America and I, as a woman, would not be allowed to vote.

Change happens.

Why are you so opposed to it?

Contrarian

Okay our town caught fire today so I went up and took video. It's all contained, thank you for your concern. When I posted it on FB, I said "sorry for the gay commentary" because I was giving all kinds of overly excited commentary about the helicopters dropping water and people hosing their rooftops. Next thing you know some actual gay person is rapping me for using the word gay. Honestly I never once thought of myself as "homosexual" when hearing my commentary about the helicopters and how badly I wanted to be a pilot of one and wearing a helmet. I was actually thinking of myself of being overly jolly and excited, which is ALSO a definition of gay. Apparently, though, gay has to always mean homosexual, and if it doesn't, whatever the Though Police think you meant is what you're saying about all homosexuals.

You weren't using the word "gay" to mean happy or jolly. You were using it to mean "lame". That usage is considered offensive to many. It's something we used to say when we were in grade 5 and didn't know any better. You know better, don't you? Of course you do. That's why you tried to claim you meant something else by the word "gay" so you could get support for your choice.

Findingmozart

The problem isn't the word "gay" and yes, gay has several meanings, being English do I still hear it in the way it was originally meant? Yes I do, should those people change? Not at all, should the people who are offended by it change? No.

The use of gay was clearly used to demean yourself because of low-self esteem issues/insecure about your passion and hobbies/blah blah and the gay in question found it correctly offensive, because he's perfectly secure in his lifestyle choice and doesn't understand why you have to use a word he associates himself with proudly to disrespect yourself.

Makes perfect sense.

The real problem here is Facebook and the way people view it, or an post on the 'internet' which many people still fail to grasp.

Would you go into a gay bar, push your video and say "Sorry for the gay commentary" - Most likely not.
Would you go into a family/friends house and do that? Yes, because they know you.

Has anyone asked if this was a public post yet?

If it was, the fact the 'audience' can't predicted means you to have to cater to society and be within the borders that society TODAY deems acceptable, and think less of yourself and your 'isms and more of society as a whole, that's part of people 'an appropriate grown adult unfortunately'.

If this was a Friends only post, then the 'friend' clearly doesn't know you, nor your dialect, social language, so what contribution/contact outside of Facebook have they had to deem themselves a 'friend'? If none, then they fall into the category of 'public' and really shouldn't be on somebody's friend list.

Why is this internet malarky so hard for some people to figure out?